


Sweet Student of Mine

by MagicBiscuit



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Gen, Light Angst, Mother Hen Byleth, Parent-Child Relationship, pre-release
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 21:36:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19237576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicBiscuit/pseuds/MagicBiscuit
Summary: War has broken out and only one thing is on Byleth's mind.The safety of her students.





	Sweet Student of Mine

Byleth ran as fast as her legs could possibly manage. Her breathing was ragged and she was getting cramp all over, but she didn’t have the time or the care to worry about any of that.

War had broken out after all.

Right now the only thing she wanted, _needed_ , to do was to see to her students. She had to make sure they were unharmed.

Five years had trickled by since she last saw the Blue Lions of Faerghus. They had been such happy, energetic children. It had been nothing, but a joy to teach them. When they parted ways their eyes were full of hope for their future.

Some future, huh?

Byleth didn't know how the war had started. Each nation had gotten the blame in turn. Sothis had chuckled at this in the back of Byleth's mind, much to her annoyance. Her commentary was not only unwanted as well as unnecessary. It only served to cause Byleth greater distress.

She had enough to digest with the horrendous rumours surrounding Dimitri.

A blood thirsty tyrant she'd heard people call her sweet student. Little Dimitri was somehow a monster without compare. Stories about how he single-handily destroyed villages and murdered everyone who stood in his way were plentiful in number. Byleth didn't want to believe such cursed words, but yet they gnawed at her.

After all there was rarely smoke without fire.

Thus she ran. She ran and ran with only her beloved students in mind. She wasn't much older than them as far as physical age was concerned, but they had all jokingly agreed she was their stern mother in spirit. If anything were to happen to them someone would pay, most likely in their own blood.

When Byleth finally stopped running she saw it. A small military camp. From one of its masts she could see the worn and tattered flag of Faerghus waving weakly in the wind. She gave a small sigh of relief, but quickly tensed up again. Her errand was far from finished she reminded herself as the cramp started to catch up with her. Byleth semi-limped over to the base.

It didn't take long before guards had their lances pointed at her neck.

"State your name and business, stranger!" the orders were barked at her. They all looked ready to skewer her on the spot.

Byleth would naturally shake her head at the situation, but she wasn't really in the position to do that. Careful not to make any sudden movements she spoke.

"I am Byleth," she said calmly, "and I am here to speak to His Royal Highness, Prince Dimitri. I used to be his teacher at the Officer’s Academy."

The guards that had her pinned down shared suspicious glances with one another. Some of them pulled back and began discussing the matter in hushed voices. Byleth had good hearing, however, so it was no problem for her to eavesdrop.

"Do ya think she's telling the truth?" one of the guards asked. "She looks a bit young to be a teacher, aye?"

One of the other guards shot her a sideways glance. "She might be," they said, "I have heard rumours of a teacher named 'Byleth'. His highness was fond of her apparently."

Byleth's heart skipped a beat for two very different reasons. On one hand the words had gladdened her, but on the other the use of past tense filled her with a feeling of dread.

She could her Sothis laugh at her. "Are you really that surprised?" she asked. Her tone felt like it was mocking Byleth. "You were gone for a really long time you know."

"Many things can be broken in five years."

Byleth, using all the willpower she could muster, shoved her anger down into the very pits of her stomach. She wouldn’t give Sothis the satisfaction of rattling her.

The guards that had wandered off came back and Byleth focused her attention back onto them. "Take her to one of the vacant tents," one of them ordered. "I will relay what's happened to His Royal Highness. He will be the one to decide what shall be done from there!"

That was fair enough Byleth thought as one of the guards grabbed a hold of her right arm. It was far better than forcing her way in. Which may or may not have been her plan B.

As they led her through the camp and placed her inside the previously mentioned tent Byleth couldn't help, but notice how worn out everything was. The tents were worn out. The weapons were worn out. The soldiers especially looked worn out.

War truly was a terrible thing.

Byleth sighed as she sat in complete silence. She was trying to find the words she would need later. Explaining Sothis' existence was probably out of the question. That made things so incredibly complicated.

The sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence and the entrance of the tent flew wide open. Byleth stood up to greet the newcomer.

Her heart got caught in her throat.

Oh no.

Oh no, no, no.

What happened?

What the hell happened to the poor child standing in front of her!?

Dimitri had only one eye now, but it was drilling holes into her. It looked dark, heavy even, with that murky circle underneath it. He stood up straight, but every single part of him was tense. The careful smile of his was gone, only to be replaced with a grim expression. His guarded stance dropped ever so slightly.

"Is that really you, Teacher?"

Good lord. His voice sounded so raspy and just as worn out as everything else in this bloody camp. It was like he was on the verge of tears, but could never break the dam. Dimitri had never been very good at expressing his emotions.

Byleth forced a smile, just for him.

"It is," she said, "but like every old woman my hair has lost all of its colour."

Not even a hint of a smile was visible on Dimitri's tired face. He walked up to her, easily towering over her with his height. With a shaking hand he reached out and touched her cheek as if to check that she was really there. His black gauntlet was cold to the touch, but Byleth didn't even flinch.

"Where were you?"

The question was asked in such a way it reminded her of a small, frightened child. Guilt gnawed at her yet she refused to look away.

"Not where I should have been clearly." Byleth said. She internally winced as she noticed how her tone was laced with anger. She hoped Dimitri understood that it was directed at herself rather than him.

He stepped back and stared at her blankly. She used to know him so well. Now it looked like someone had taken the child she'd known and smashed him into several broken pieces like he was made of glass.

It filled her with so much rage.

"Why are you here now, then?"

Byleth sighed. She'd expected a question like that. She made sure she had eye contact before she spoke. "You really expected me not to come running when I hear that my cute students got caught up in a continent wide war?"

Dimitri's expression became hard and guarded. "Should I have expected that?" he asked.

Ouch.

She clenched her fists as an uneasy nausea made itself very apparent to her. She took a deep breath. She had never yelled at her students before and she had no intention of starting now.

"Remember what I told all of you once? Back when we were stuck up on that mountain after defeating some bandits?"

Dimitri said nothing, but he was focused now. He was surveying the situation. Analysing and determining his next course of action. She could still read his body language somewhat. She’d been a sham if she couldn’t have though.

Byleth pressed on.

"I said that I would always come running when you needed me. I said that when things seemed like they were too much your old grandma of a teacher would be there and try her hardest to ensure that everything turned out all right."

She forced a smile again.

"I have no intention of breaking that promise."

Once her final words left her mouth Dimitri snapped back.

"Then where the hell were you!?" he yelled. "Where the hell were you when-" he stopped himself mid-sentence and bit his bottom lip. He was shaking like a leaf. It made Byleth’s nausea even worse.

She wanted to explain, but how could she? Was she just supposed to just tell him about the mysterious girl that had kept her close for all these years? Would Dimitri even believe such a tale? She wasn't so sure.

An uneasy silence fell over the room. Dimitri had turned his attention to the dry ground. Byleth kept her blue eyes on him. He was hurt. She'd hurt her student, even if it had been accidental.

She had to make up for that.

Dimitri was the one to break the short-lived silence.

"What was it that you wanted?" he asked so quietly it was barely even audible. Yet Byleth heard. An idea was forming in her head. It could’ve easily been both the best as well as the worst idea she would ever have.

"How is Faerghus faring in the war?" she inquired. Dimitri looked up from the ground and gave her a suspicious glare. "Why do you ask?"

She tapped her chin with her index finger. She had been the Blue Lions’ teacher way back then. They were precious to her and she wanted them to be safe. Now she also needed to know who the hell had done this to Dimitri so she could tear them to shreds. She could think of only one way both of these goals could be achieved effectively as of right now.

"Do you want another soldier?"

Dimitri's eye became wide with shock. "What?" his voice cracked. Was her offer really that surprising?

Byleth straightened herself up. "I'm asking for your permission to join your army.” She said just to make sure her intention was clearer than any crystal.

Dimitri looked shaken for a brief moment before he looked away. "And why would you want to do that?" His voice was bitter, but Byleth could hear a slight glimmer of hope in it as well.

"I already failed you once." Byleth said. They both stiffened as her voice choked up.

"Please give me the chance to make it right. I don't want to fail my students again now that they need me more than ever."

It felt like an eternity passed as Dimitri contemplated her offer. The way he hunched in on himself made him look so small. A part of her wanted to run up to Dimitri and just hold him in her arms. She knew she couldn't do that though. He wasn't ready for something like that and it would only result in her cutting herself on the broken pieces that was Dimitri Alexander Blaiddyd.

Finally Dimitri spoke again. "If you are willing, Teacher, then we will have you." he hesitated slightly before adding. "Just don't expect a warm welcome."

An actual, genuine smile made its way to Byleth face as she got his answer. "Thank you," she said as Dimitri turned his back on her to leave, "I'll do anything in my power to make up for my past failings to you."

Dimitri only froze slightly before he left in complete silence.

As Byleth watched the tent close behind him she could feel her heart being filled with determination.

She wouldn't fail her students again.

She _refused_ to fail her students again.

She could hear Sothis chuckle at her, but as of that moment it didn't matter. She had found her path. She was going to learn what happened to Dimitri. She was going to protect her students.

That was her new promise to them.

May whatever holy powers that exist in this cruel world have mercy on the poor souls that would be foolish enough to stand in her way.


End file.
